You Are Not Alone...

You Are Not Alone In the War Against Acne

While you may feel just as incredibly alone as I did, acne is the most widespread skin disease in the world, with millions and millions of sufferers.

The adolescent years are the most common and notorious for acne breakouts, affecting 80 to 90 percent of teenagers to some degree, even supermodels.

We hope that any breakout is mild and short-lived, but they can be severe and disfiguring.

If you are among the fortunate ones, acne’s prevalence declines over time and tends to disappear or at least decrease by age 25.

There is, however, no way to know when or if it will disappear entirely, and it’s possible that you are among the unfortunate individuals who contend with this condition well into their thirties, forties, and beyond.

It's not what any of us want to be told, I know, and it’s one of the reasons I decided I had to seek a therapy that would work for me.

Adult acne is a far more universal problem than you might think.

Among adult women, about 50 percent experience acne breakouts at some point; among men, about 25 percent—and the chronic nature of the condition means adults may endure symptoms for decades.

As is true of adolescent acne, adult acne is often caused by a hormonal imbalance. Many women, for instance, break out every month at the onset of their period, and acne is a common symptom of PMS.

Acne is also associated with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), a hormonal condition that causes irregular or absent menstrual periods due to ovulation irregularities.

In women over 35, the hormonal fluctuations that orchestrate their periods tend to become more dramatic and unpredictable as they enter perimenopause and approach menopause, which can aggravate hormonal acne.

Many women who haven’t had a breakout since their teens or early twenties suddenly find themselves battling acne in their forties.

No One Is Spared By Acne -- Not Even Celebrities

And if you think those who are considered the elite in beauty somehow escape the acne wars, just listen to supermodels and Hollywood stars and celebrities.

They may always look fabulous on the screen, but that is thanks to makeup artists and airbrushing. The main difference between their battle and yours is that they cannot let their breakouts and imperfections be seen.

To cover up the problem, some of them find a foundation that is appropriate to their skin color and has a high pigment concentration while others use two layers of foundation separated by a layer of transparent face powder.

“When I was in high school and I had acne, I spent a lot of time sulking in my room. I was depressed. I was not happy.”—Adam Levine

“I had bad hormonal acne when I was 17 . . . then, I had stress acne when I was 20, which they kindly video-airbrushed out of the movie. But I realized how debilitating and embarrassing it can be to have cystic acne.”—Emma Stone told Refinery29.com

“I used to have very bad acne, so bad I wanted to commit suicide over it.” —Ethan Hawke

“I’m incredibly self-conscious about the fact that I get bad skin.”—Keira Knightley told Australian Vogue

“I had acne as a teen, and it made me so insecure to be on camera—not a good thing when you are on a television series.”—Kaley Cuoco

“I have acne scars. I’m self-conscious about that, so sometimes I wear too much makeup to cover them up.”—Katy Perry told Cosmopolitan

“I have the same breakouts as everybody else.” —Scarlett Johansson told Elle

“I’m basically a sexless geek. Look at me, I have pasty white skin, I have acne scars, and I’m five-foot-nothing.”—Mike Myers

“I always have to carry concealer in my makeup case because I have adult acne.”—Madonna

“I hate [pimples] and, of course, I still get them like everyone else.”—Sarah Michelle Gellar

Even celebrities, who could pay for any treatment, no matter the cost, don’t have a solution for this epidemic. Something is wrong with this picture.

Much More to It Than Scarring

If you’re a veteran of the acne wars, you know that acne results in the inflammation within the dermis, which leads the body to try to heal the wound. But often too much collagen will end up at that specific breakout site, resulting in scarring.

When phrases such as ice pick scars, boxcar scars, rolling scars, or pigmented scars are part of your conversation, you have probably searched and searched for ways to treat the scarring, whether with lasers or micro needling or pure vitamin E oils or other gels or almost anything anyone suggests (the list is very long).

Aside from scarring, though, acne often has a profound effect on one’s entire life in a multitude of ways, which may not be understood or appreciated by your family and friends.

Acne is particularly troubling because of its visibility and its intimate relationship with our self-esteem. Dr. Steven R. Feldman, professor of dermatology in the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, says, “The skin in general, and particularly the skin of the face, is the way we see ourselves.

It’s the way others see us, and most importantly, it’s the way we think others see us.” That is the heart of the issue.

In that acne usually is most pronounced during adolescence, when we already tend to be our most insecure, its main effects are psychological, leading to reduced self-esteem, self-confidence, and overall outlook in general.

Some subjects thought that acne had affected their personalities permanently and adversely. Psychological sequelae were attributed to the effects of facial acne on appearance.”

And as you can imagine or perhaps already know, the emotional scars can remain long after the acne has disappeared.

Even mild breakouts can negatively impact how one feels about himself. That is no surprise, given the many corollary problems it introduces, such as depression, anxiety, personality problems, emotions, self-concept, social isolation, social assertiveness, social anxiety, and body dissatisfaction.

What may be surprising to you, though, is that adults are more likely than their adolescent counterparts to feel that acne negatively affects their lives—regardless of how severe their acne is.

This may be because their acne has been longer lasting or resistant to treatment or because there is a greater social stigma for adults with acne.

Many studies have been done that show that depression and anxiety are more common in those with acne than the general population.

Studies have shown that acne patients report deficits in the quality of their lives (the degree of enjoyment or satisfaction experienced in everyday life) as great as those reported by patients with chronic health problems, such as asthma, epilepsy, diabetes, and arthritis.

Of particular concern is the rate that acne sufferers of all ages go on to develop anxiety disorders, depression, and other mental disorders, even suicide. Clearly, no one should take the emotional consequences of acne lightly.

Acne Affects All Parts Of Our Lives -- Especially Our Social Lives

In a society that places a phenomenal emphasis on appearance, acne sufferers often feel uncomfortable or embarrassed or even ashamed of their condition.

Dr. Jerry Tan, director of the Acne Research and Treatment Centre in Windsor, Canada, says, “While the physical features of acne are readily apparent to us all, the emotional and social impact of acne is often underestimated by non-sufferers. This can be manifested as anxiety, depression, and social withdrawal...

Studies have shown that those with acne are dissatisfied with their appearance, embarrassed, self-conscious, and lack self-confidence.

Problems with social interactions with the opposite gender, appearances in public, and with strangers have also been observed.”

In teenagers, depression may manifest as social withdrawal (the avoidance of peers or the retreat to the bedroom) and/or impaired school performance (lower grades or missed assignments).

Something as simple as having a photograph taken with friends or family an become a major issue.

It is so easy to get worried that everyone is staring at your pimples that you don’t want to leave your house. No matter what reason another person is looking at us, we automatically assume it is because of our acne.

However, if we avoid going out, mingling with other people, or being seen in public, we lose out in the things that will help us grow and mature as a person.

We lose out on possible social connections, missing out on the opportunities to make friends and learn from other people.

Many people do not participate in exercise or sports because of their acne. For instance, who could blame a young man who avoids swimming due to the blemishes on his chest or back?

Dr. Martyn Standage, a lecturer in Great Britain’s School for Health at the University of Bath, says, “The skin is the most visible organ in the human body and, as such, is an important part of the personal image.

Fear of having one’s skin evaluated by others has implications for physical and social well-being. Sport and exercise activities provide many opportunities for the skin to be exposed to evaluation.

Due to this, acne sufferers may become so anxious about their appearance that it prevents them from participating in physical activity.”

A 2006 study conducted at Wake Forest University School of Medicine on social sensitivity and acne determined that “greater acne severity was significantly associated with poorer social outcomes and quality of life.

For women, higher social sensitivity was independently associated with poorer outcomes, while for men, higher social sensitivity interacted with acne severity and was associated with worse social outcomes and life quality.”

Dermatologist Jennifer Krejci- Manwaring concluded that “men and women with severe acne have the most trouble in social interactions with both friends and strangers. However, women who are more sensitive even when their skin is clear have much more difficulty when they have outbreaks.”

Your Acne Does Not Define You

Adding to this sensitivity, the prevalence of myths regarding acne development may even lead some to feel a sense of guilt or shame as if they are somehow responsible for their acne.

According to the Dermatology Online Journal, a study of acne sufferers in dermatological care showed that 30 percent of these patients believed that poor skin hygiene contributed to their acne.

The truth is that acne is primarily caused by hormonal changes during puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause.

Unfortunately, believing this hygiene myth causes young people to blame themselves for not keeping their skin perfectly clean, giving them feelings of guilt and shame and stress.

The stress of acne makes breakouts even worse, as it has been demonstrated that stress can cause excess oil production.

This oil mixes with dead skin cells and skin bacteria resulting in clogged pores and breakouts. It is a vicious cycle, and it keeps getting worse and worse.

Some people end up feeling ugly and undesirable and never pleased with the way they look.

They may be smart and intelligent and well liked, but they become oblivious to their assets as though these are meaningless.

After a while, a person with acne can become blind to his strengths and focused on his weaknesses.

This is detrimental in the long run for they may let opportunities pass them by because of their obsession with their physical appearance.

Unfortunately, it can lead to long-lasting emotional and psychological effects. A person who has intermittent breakouts will often become angrier with every acne eruption.

He can also become more obsessed about his condition; his self-esteem can also become lower with every breakout.

In the end, even when the acne is all gone and a previously afflicted person’s skin has become smooth and clear of acne breakouts, the feelings of inadequacy and undesirability often linger.

It is clear that while acne may be considered “medically simple,” it can still be a very harmful condition. It needs to be treated and treated promptly, too, if the negative emotional and psychological effects are to be avoided.

But don’t worry, there is a solution to eliminate this disease once and for all!

Since there was nothing on the market except harsh chemical acne treatments that damaged my skin and even made acne worse, I decided to create my own cure.

After years of diligent research, I've compiled ALL of my scientific discoveries in my #1 Amazon Bestseller book “Face It - Winning The War On Acne” (#humblebrag).

Shortly after I published my book, I have finally created the #1 Fastest-Acting, Most Organic and Natural acne treatment that worked to not only cure me of all my acne but also to hydrate and moisturize my skin.

And I don’t want to keep what I have created a secret.

I want to share how this treatment has changed my life because I know it will completely change yours forever.

If you want to learn more about what I used to clear my acne once and for all click here